World at War 110 : Operation Lorraine-Alsace, 1944

What if Germany's great winter offensive of 1944 had been launched in Lorraine and Alsace instead of the Ardennes?

World at War #110 explores an alternative vision of the final months of World War II with Operation Lorraine-Alsace 1944, a two-player wargame examining one of the alternative plans considered by the German High Command for its great winter counteroffensive of 1944-45.

Historically, several operational plans were prepared for attacks on the Western Front. Three of them envisioned offensives in Lorraine and Alsace, aiming to destroy as many American and French divisions as possible, temporarily halt the Allied advance and restore a strong defensive line along the Vosges Mountains.

Hitler ultimately chose the Ardennes offensive. But what might have happened had the Wehrmacht committed its main effort further south?

THE GAME

Operation Lorraine-Alsace 1944 is a two-player alternative history wargame examining the first eight days of a hypothetical German winter offensive across eastern France.

The German player attempts to inflict sufficient losses on the US Third and Seventh Armies to compromise their offensive capabilities for the 1945 campaign season. A major success could also disrupt the rebuilding French military effort and significantly delay the Allied advance into Germany.

The potential strategic consequences are considerable. A delay of several months on the Western Front might have altered German force allocations against the Red Army and profoundly affected the final stages of the war in Europe.

The game is the third volume in the Alternative Battles of the Bulge Series, a series exploring the different operational concepts historically considered by Hitler for the German winter counteroffensive of 1944-45.

An operational-level simulation

The game uses a hexagonal map system and portrays operations primarily at the divisional level, supplemented by separate brigades, regiments, battalions and companies.

Winter weather plays an important role. As was historically the case, Allied air superiority is restricted by poor weather conditions and its effects are represented abstractly.

Game scale:

• 1 turn = 1 day
• 1 hex = approximately 5 miles / 8 km
• Primary units: divisions, with brigades, regiments, battalions and companies also represented

An original subject for enthusiasts of historical what-if scenarios, operational warfare and the final campaigns on the Western Front.

THE MAGAZINE

Alongside the featured wargame, World at War #110 includes several historical articles covering different campaigns and battles of World War II:

• Operation Lorraine-Alsace: 1944 – An analysis of the German plans for a winter offensive in Lorraine and Alsace.
• The Battle for Kalach, 25 July–11 August 1942 – The struggle for control of the Don River bend before the German advance toward Stalingrad.
• Edson's Ridge, 12–15 September 1942 – One of the decisive engagements of the Guadalcanal campaign.
• The Battle(s) of Nijmegen – The fighting and command decisions surrounding the Nijmegen bridges during Operation Market-Garden.

GAME CONTENTS

• One 22 x 34 inch game map
• 176 5/8-inch die-cut counters
• Rulebook
• World at War #110 magazine

GAME FEATURES

Publisher: Decision Games
Magazine: World at War #110
Game: Operation Lorraine-Alsace 1944
Designer: Ty Bomba
Period: World War II – Western Front, Winter 1944
Theme: Alternative German offensive in Lorraine and Alsace
System: Operational hex-based wargame
Players: 2
Series: Alternative Battles of the Bulge Series – Volume 3
Language: English
Format: Magazine with included wargame